State Sen. Chris McDaniel speaks with the media before voting at the George Harrison Building, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, in Ellisville, Miss. Voters go to the polls Tuesday to vote in the Republican primary runoff election between incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran and challenger McDaniel. The winner will face Democrat Travis Childers in the November general election. McDaniel's wife Jill and family listen at rear left. (AP Photo/The Hattiesburg American, Bryant Hawkins) NO SALES

In Mississippi's often-bitter Republican contest, veteran Sen. Thad Cochran defeated state Sen. Chris McDaniel. The tea party-backed insurgent had channeled voters' anti-Washington mood and forced a runoff. McDaniel offered no explicit concession, but instead complained of "dozens of irregularities" that he implied were due to Cochran courting Democrats and independents.

As he sought a seventh term, Cochran reached out to traditionally Democratic voters — blacks and union members — who were eligible to participate in the runoff. People who cast ballots in the June 3 Democratic primary could not vote in the runoff.

Cochran, 76, had sent billions of federal dollars to his poor state over a long career. His 41-year-old challenger said taxpayers could not afford that federal largesse.

___

NEW LAWMAKER FOR NEW YORK?

Looking for a 23rd term, Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York worked to fend off a state senator who could become the first Dominican-American member of Congress. The race was too close to call early Wednesday, with an undetermined number of absentee and provisional ballots outstanding.

The 84-year-old Rangel, the third-most-senior member of the House, faced a rematch against state Sen. Adriano Espaillat in Harlem and upper Manhattan. Two years ago, Rangel prevailed in the primary by fewer than 1,100 votes.

In this race, Rangel said Espaillat "wants to be the Jackie Robinson of the Dominicans in the Congress," adding that Espaillat should tell voters "just what the heck has he done besides saying he's a Dominican?"

___

DOUBLE DIPPING IN OKLAHOMA

Both of Oklahoma's Senate seats were on the ballot for the first time in recent history.

Sen. Jim Inhofe fended off minor challengers in the Republican primary in one of those contests.

In the other, two-term Rep. James Lankford of Oklahoma won the GOP nomination in the race to succeed Sen. Tom Coburn, who is stepping down with two years left in his term. In a blow to the tea party movement, Lankford, a member of the House GOP leadership, defeated T.W. Shannon, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the state's first black House speaker.

National tea party groups and the Senate Conservatives Fund had backed Shannon, who also had the support of Sarah Palin and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.